Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions......6
Commentaries on the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials In International
Business Transactions .................................................................................................................................14
Recommendation of the Council for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions ............................................................................................................20
Recommendation of the Council on Tax Measures for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public
Officials in International Business Transactions .........................................................................................33
Recommendation of the Council On Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits .............................35
Recommendation of the Development Assistance Committee on Anti-Corruption Proposals for Bilateral
Aid Procurement..........................................................................................................................................38
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises – Section VII ..................................................................39

Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials
in International Business Transactions
Adopted by the Negotiating Conference on 21 November 1997

Preamble
The Parties,
Considering that bribery is a widespread phenomenon in international business
transactions, including trade and investment, which raises serious moral and political
concerns, undermines good governance and economic development, and distorts
international competitive conditions;
Considering that all countries share a responsibility to combat bribery in
international business transactions;
Having regard to the Revised Recommendation on Combating Bribery in
International Business Transactions, adopted by the Council of the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 23 May 1997, C(97)123/FINAL,
which, inter alia, called for effective measures to deter, prevent and combat the bribery of
foreign public officials in connection with international business transactions, in
particular the prompt criminalisation of such bribery in an effective and co-ordinated
manner and in conformity with the agreed common elements set out in that
Recommendation and with the jurisdictional and other basic legal principles of each
country;
Welcoming other recent developments which further advance international
understanding and co-operation in combating bribery of public officials, including actions
of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World
Trade Organisation, the Organisation of American States, the Council of Europe and the
European Union;
Welcoming the efforts of companies, business organisations and trade unions as
well as other non-governmental organisations to combat bribery;
Recognising the role of governments in the prevention of solicitation of bribes
from individuals and enterprises in international business transactions;
Recognising that achieving progress in this field requires not only efforts on a
national level but also multilateral co-operation, monitoring and follow-up;
Recognising that achieving equivalence among the measures to be taken by the
Parties is an essential object and purpose of the Convention, which requires that the
Convention be ratified without derogations affecting this equivalence;

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HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1
The Offence of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials
1.

Each Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish that it is a
criminal offence under its law for any person intentionally to offer, promise or give
any undue pecuniary or other advantage, whether directly or through intermediaries,
to a foreign public official, for that official or for a third party, in order that the
official act or refrain from acting in relation to the performance of official duties, in
order to obtain or retain business or other improper advantage in the conduct of
international business.

2.

Each Party shall take any measures necessary to establish that complicity in,
including incitement, aiding and abetting, or authorisation of an act of bribery of a
foreign public official shall be a criminal offence. Attempt and conspiracy to bribe a
foreign public official shall be criminal offences to the same extent as attempt and
conspiracy to bribe a public official of that Party.

3.

The offences set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 above are hereinafter referred to as
“bribery of a foreign public official”.

4.

For the purpose of this Convention:
a)

“foreign public official” means any person holding a legislative, administrative
or judicial office of a foreign country, whether appointed or elected; any person
exercising a public function for a foreign country, including for a public
agency or public enterprise; and any official or agent of a public international
organisation;

b) “foreign country” includes all levels and subdivisions of government, from
national to local;
c)

“act or refrain from acting in relation to the performance of official duties”
includes any use of the public official‟s position, whether or not within the
official‟s authorised competence.

Article 2
Responsibility of Legal Persons
Each Party shall take such measures as may be necessary, in accordance with its legal
principles, to establish the liability of legal persons for the bribery of a foreign public
official.

The bribery of a foreign public official shall be punishable by effective,
proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties. The range of penalties shall be
comparable to that applicable to the bribery of the Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x;s own public officials and
shall, in the case of natural persons, include deprivation of liberty sufficient to
enable effective mutual legal assistance and extradition.

2.

In the event that, under the legal system of a Party, criminal responsibility is not
applicable to legal persons, that Party shall ensure that legal persons shall be subject
to effective, proportionate and dissuasive non-criminal sanctions, including
monetary sanctions, for bribery of foreign public officials.

3.

Each Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to provide that the bribe
and the proceeds of the bribery of a foreign public official, or property the value of
which corresponds to that of such proceeds, are subject to seizure and confiscation
or that monetary sanctions of comparable effect are applicable.

4.

Each Party shall consider the imposition of additional civil or administrative
sanctions upon a person subject to sanctions for the bribery of a foreign public
official.

Article 4
Jurisdiction
1.

Each Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction
over the bribery of a foreign public official when the offence is committed in whole
or in part in its territory.

2.

Each Party which has jurisdiction to prosecute its nationals for offences committed
abroad shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction to
do so in respect of the bribery of a foreign public official, according to the same
principles.

3.

When more than one Party has jurisdiction over an alleged offence described in this
Convention, the Parties involved shall, at the request of one of them, consult with a
view to determining the most appropriate jurisdiction for prosecution.

4.

Each Party shall review whether its current basis for jurisdiction is effective in the
fight against the bribery of foreign public officials and, if it is not, shall take
remedial steps.

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Article 5
Enforcement
Investigation and prosecution of the bribery of a foreign public official shall be subject to
the applicable rules and principles of each Party. They shall not be influenced by
considerations of national economic interest, the potential effect upon relations with
another State or the identity of the natural or legal persons involved.

Article 6
Statute of Limitations
Any statute of limitations applicable to the offence of bribery of a foreign public official
shall allow an adequate period of time for the investigation and prosecution of this
offence.

Article 7
Money Laundering
Each Party which has made bribery of its own public official a predicate offence for the
purpose of the application of its money laundering legislation shall do so on the same
terms for the bribery of a foreign public official, without regard to the place where the
bribery occurred.

Article 8
Accounting
1.

In order to combat bribery of foreign public officials effectively, each Party shall
take such measures as may be necessary, within the framework of its laws and
regulations regarding the maintenance of books and records, financial statement
disclosures, and accounting and auditing standards, to prohibit the establishment of
off-the-books accounts, the making of off-the-books or inadequately identified
transactions, the recording of non-existent expenditures, the entry of liabilities with
incorrect identification of their object, as well as the use of false documents, by
companies subject to those laws and regulations, for the purpose of bribing foreign
public officials or of hiding such bribery.

2.

Each Party shall provide effective, proportionate and dissuasive civil, administrative
or criminal penalties for such omissions and falsifications in respect of the books,
records, accounts and financial statements of such companies.

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10 - CONVENTION
Article 9
Mutual Legal Assistance
1.

Each Party shall, to the fullest extent possible under its laws and relevant treaties
and arrangements, provide prompt and effective legal assistance to another Party for
the purpose of criminal investigations and proceedings brought by a Party
concerning offences within the scope of this Convention and for non-criminal
proceedings within the scope of this Convention brought by a Party against a legal
person. The requested Party shall inform the requesting Party, without delay, of any
additional information or documents needed to support the request for assistance
and, where requested, of the status and outcome of the request for assistance.

2.

Where a Party makes mutual legal assistance conditional upon the existence of dual
criminality, dual criminality shall be deemed to exist if the offence for which the
assistance is sought is within the scope of this Convention.

3.

A Party shall not decline to render mutual legal assistance for criminal matters
within the scope of this Convention on the ground of bank secrecy.

Article 10
Extradition
1.

Bribery of a foreign public official shall be deemed to be included as an extraditable
offence under the laws of the Parties and the extradition treaties between them.

2.

If a Party which makes extradition conditional on the existence of an extradition
treaty receives a request for extradition from another Party with which it has no
extradition treaty, it may consider this Convention to be the legal basis for
extradition in respect of the offence of bribery of a foreign public official.

3.

Each Party shall take any measures necessary to assure either that it can extradite its
nationals or that it can prosecute its nationals for the offence of bribery of a foreign
public official. A Party which declines a request to extradite a person for bribery of
a foreign public official solely on the ground that the person is its national shall
submit the case to its competent authorities for the purpose of prosecution.

4.

Extradition for bribery of a foreign public official is subject to the conditions set out
in the domestic law and applicable treaties and arrangements of each Party. Where a
Party makes extradition conditional upon the existence of dual criminality, that
condition shall be deemed to be fulfilled if the offence for which extradition is
sought is within the scope of Article 1 of this Convention.

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Article 11
Responsible Authorities
For the purposes of Article 4, paragraph 3, on consultation, Article 9, on mutual legal
assistance and Article 10, on extradition, each Party shall notify to the Secretary-General
of the OECD an authority or authorities responsible for making and receiving requests,
which shall serve as channel of communication for these matters for that Party, without
prejudice to other arrangements between Parties.

Article 12
Monitoring and Follow-up
The Parties shall co-operate in carrying out a programme of systematic follow-up to
monitor and promote the full implementation of this Convention. Unless otherwise
decided by consensus of the Parties, this shall be done in the framework of the OECD
Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions and according to its
terms of reference, or within the framework and terms of reference of any successor to its
functions, and Parties shall bear the costs of the programme in accordance with the rules
applicable to that body.

Article 13
Signature and Accession
1.

Until its entry into force, this Convention shall be open for signature by OECD
Members and by Non-Members which have been invited to become full participants
in its Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

2.

Subsequent to its entry into force, this Convention shall be open to accession by any
non-signatory which is a member of the OECD or has become a full participant in
the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions or any
successor to its functions. For each such non-signatory, the Convention shall enter
into force on the sixtieth day following the date of deposit of its instrument of
accession.

Article 14
Ratification and Depositary
1.

This Convention is subject to acceptance, approval or ratification by the
Signatories, in accordance with their respective laws.

2.

Instruments of acceptance, approval, ratification or accession shall be deposited
with the Secretary-General of the OECD, who shall serve as Depositary of this
Convention.

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12 - CONVENTION
Article 15
Entry into Force
1.

This Convention shall enter into force on the sixtieth day following the date upon
which five of the ten countries which have the ten largest export shares set out in
DAFFE/IME/BR(97)18/FINAL (annexed), and which represent by themselves at
least sixty per cent of the combined total exports of those ten countries, have
deposited their instruments of acceptance, approval, or ratification. For each
signatory depositing its instrument after such entry into force, the Convention shall
enter into force on the sixtieth day after deposit of its instrument.

2.

If, after 31 December 1998, the Convention has not entered into force under
paragraph 1 above, any signatory which has deposited its instrument of acceptance,
approval or ratification may declare in writing to the Depositary its readiness to
accept entry into force of this Convention under this paragraph 2. The Convention
shall enter into force for such a signatory on the sixtieth day following the date
upon which such declarations have been deposited by at least two signatories. For
each signatory depositing its declaration after such entry into force, the Convention
shall enter into force on the sixtieth day following the date of deposit.

Article 16
Amendment
Any Party may propose the amendment of this Convention. A proposed amendment shall
be submitted to the Depositary which shall communicate it to the other Parties at least
sixty days before convening a meeting of the Parties to consider the proposed
amendment. An amendment adopted by consensus of the Parties, or by such other means
as the Parties may determine by consensus, shall enter into force sixty days after the
deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval by all of the Parties, or in
such other circumstances as may be specified by the Parties at the time of adoption of the
amendment.

Article 17
Withdrawal
A Party may withdraw from this Convention by submitting written notification to the
Depositary. Such withdrawal shall be effective one year after the date of the receipt of the
notification. After withdrawal, co-operation shall continue between the Parties and the Party
which has withdrawn on all requests for assistance or extradition made before the effective date
of withdrawal which remain pending.

CONVENTION ON COMBATING BRIBERY OF FOREIGN PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS ÂŠ OECD 2011

Concerning Belgium-Luxembourg: Trade statistics for Belgium and Luxembourg are available only on a
combined basis for the two countries. For purposes of Article 15, paragraph 1 of the Convention, if either
Belgium or Luxembourg deposits its instrument of acceptance, approval or ratification, or if both Belgium and
Luxembourg deposit their instruments of acceptance, approval or ratification, it shall be considered that one of
the countries which have the ten largest exports shares has deposited its instrument and the joint exports of both
countries will be counted towards the 60 per cent of combined total exports of those ten countries, which is
required for entry into force under this provision.

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14 - COMMENTARIES ON THE CONVENTION

Commentaries on the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign
Public Officials in International Business Transactions
Adopted by the Negotiating Conference on 21 November 1997

General:
1.
This Convention deals with what, in the law of some countries, is called “active
corruption” or “active bribery”, meaning the offence committed by the person who
promises or gives the bribe, as contrasted with “passive bribery”, the offence committed
by the official who receives the bribe. The Convention does not utilise the term “active
bribery” simply to avoid it being misread by the non-technical reader as implying that the
briber has taken the initiative and the recipient is a passive victim. In fact, in a number of
situations, the recipient will have induced or pressured the briber and will have been, in
that sense, the more active.
2.
This Convention seeks to assure a functional equivalence among the measures
taken by the Parties to sanction bribery of foreign public officials, without requiring
uniformity or changes in fundamental principles of a Party‟s legal system.

7.
It is also an offence irrespective of, inter alia, the value of the advantage, its
results, perceptions of local custom, the tolerance of such payments by local authorities,
or the alleged necessity of the payment in order to obtain or retain business or other
improper advantage.
8.
It is not an offence, however, if the advantage was permitted or required by the
written law or regulation of the foreign public official‟s country, including case law.
9.
Small “facilitation” payments do not constitute payments made “to obtain or
retain business or other improper advantage” within the meaning of paragraph 1 and,
accordingly, are also not an offence. Such payments, which, in some countries, are made
to induce public officials to perform their functions, such as issuing licenses or permits,
are generally illegal in the foreign country concerned. Other countries can and should
address this corrosive phenomenon by such means as support for programmes of good
governance. However, criminalisation by other countries does not seem a practical or
effective complementary action.
10.
Under the legal system of some countries, an advantage promised or given to any
person, in anticipation of his or her becoming a foreign public official, falls within the
scope of the offences described in Article 1, paragraph 1 or 2. Under the legal system of
many countries, it is considered technically distinct from the offences covered by the
present Convention. However, there is a commonly shared concern and intent to address
this phenomenon through further work.

Re paragraph 2:
11.
The offences set out in paragraph 2 are understood in terms of their normal
content in national legal systems. Accordingly, if authorisation, incitement, or one of the
other listed acts, which does not lead to further action, is not itself punishable under a
Party‟s legal system, then the Party would not be required to make it punishable with
respect to bribery of a foreign public official.

16 - COMMENTARIES ON THE CONVENTION
Such persons, through their de facto performance of a public function, may, under the
legal principles of some countries, be considered to be foreign public officials.
17.
“Public international organisation” includes any international organisation
formed by states, governments, or other public international organisations, whatever the
form of organisation and scope of competence, including, for example, a regional
economic integration organisation such as the European Communities.
18.
“Foreign country” is not limited to states, but includes any organised foreign area
or entity, such as an autonomous territory or a separate customs territory.
19.
One case of bribery which has been contemplated under the definition in
paragraph 4.c is where an executive of a company gives a bribe to a senior official of a
government, in order that this official use his office – though acting outside his
competence – to make another official award a contract to that company.

Article 2. Responsibility of Legal Persons:
20.
In the event that, under the legal system of a Party, criminal responsibility is not
applicable to legal persons, that Party shall not be required to establish such criminal
responsibility.

Article 3. Sanctions:
Re paragraph 3:
21.
The “proceeds” of bribery are the profits or other benefits derived by the briber
from the transaction or other improper advantage obtained or retained through bribery.
22.
The term “confiscation” includes forfeiture where applicable and means the
permanent deprivation of property by order of a court or other competent authority. This
paragraph is without prejudice to rights of victims.
23.

Re paragraph 4:
24.
Among the civil or administrative sanctions, other than non-criminal fines, which
might be imposed upon legal persons for an act of bribery of a foreign public official are:
exclusion from entitlement to public benefits or aid; temporary or permanent
disqualification from participation in public procurement or from the practice of other
commercial activities; placing under judicial supervision; and a judicial winding-up order.

Article 4. Jurisdiction:
Re paragraph 1:
25.
The territorial basis for jurisdiction should be interpreted broadly so that an
extensive physical connection to the bribery act is not required.

dual criminality. However, the requirement of dual criminality should be deemed to be
met if the act is unlawful where it occurred, even if under a different criminal statute. For
countries which apply nationality jurisdiction only to certain types of offences, the
reference to “principles” includes the principles upon which such selection is based.

Article 5. Enforcement:
27.
Article 5 recognises the fundamental nature of national regimes of prosecutorial
discretion. It recognises as well that, in order to protect the independence of prosecution,
such discretion is to be exercised on the basis of professional motives and is not to be
subject to improper influence by concerns of a political nature. Article 5 is complemented
by paragraph 6 of the Annex to the 1997 OECD Revised Recommendation on Combating
Bribery in International Business Transactions, C(97)123/FINAL (hereinafter, “1997
OECD Recommendation”), which recommends, inter alia, that complaints of bribery of
foreign public officials should be seriously investigated by competent authorities and that
adequate resources should be provided by national governments to permit effective
prosecution of such bribery. Parties will have accepted this Recommendation, including
its monitoring and follow-up arrangements.

Article 7. Money Laundering:
28.
In Article 7, “bribery of its own public official” is intended broadly, so that
bribery of a foreign public official is to be made a predicate offence for money laundering
legislation on the same terms, when a Party has made either active or passive bribery of
its own public official such an offence. When a Party has made only passive bribery of its
own public officials a predicate offence for money laundering purposes, this article
requires that the laundering of the bribe payment be subject to money laundering
legislation.

Article 8. Accounting:
29.
Article 8 is related to section V of the 1997 OECD Recommendation, which all
Parties will have accepted and which is subject to follow-up in the OECD Working
Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. This paragraph contains a series
of recommendations concerning accounting requirements, independent external audit and
internal company controls the implementation of which will be important to the overall
effectiveness of the fight against bribery in international business. However, one
immediate consequence of the implementation of this Convention by the Parties will be
that companies which are required to issue financial statements disclosing their material
contingent liabilities will need to take into account the full potential liabilities under this
Convention, in particular its Articles 3 and 8, as well as other losses which might flow
from conviction of the company or its agents for bribery. This also has implications for
the execution of professional responsibilities of auditors regarding indications of bribery
of foreign public officials. In addition, the accounting offences referred to in Article 8
will generally occur in the company‟s home country, when the bribery offence itself may
have been committed in another country, and this can fill gaps in the effective reach of
the Convention.

18 - COMMENTARIES ON THE CONVENTION
Article 9. Mutual Legal Assistance:
30.
Parties will have also accepted, through paragraph 8 of the Agreed Common
Elements annexed to the 1997 OECD Recommendation, to explore and undertake means
to improve the efficiency of mutual legal assistance.

Re paragraph 1:
31.
Within the framework of paragraph 1 of Article 9, Parties should, upon request,
facilitate or encourage the presence or availability of persons, including persons in
custody, who consent to assist in investigations or participate in proceedings. Parties
should take measures to be able, in appropriate cases, to transfer temporarily such a
person in custody to a Party requesting it and to credit time in custody in the requesting
Party to the transferred person‟s sentence in the requested Party. The Parties wishing to
use this mechanism should also take measures to be able, as a requesting Party, to keep a
transferred person in custody and return this person without necessity of extradition
proceedings.

Re paragraph 2:
32.
Paragraph 2 addresses the issue of identity of norms in the concept of dual
criminality. Parties with statutes as diverse as a statute prohibiting the bribery of agents
generally and a statute directed specifically at bribery of foreign public officials should be
able to co-operate fully regarding cases whose facts fall within the scope of the offences
described in this Convention.

Article 10. Extradition
Re paragraph 2:
33.
A Party may consider this Convention to be a legal basis for extradition if, for one
or more categories of cases falling within this Convention, it requires an extradition
treaty. For example, a country may consider it a basis for extradition of its nationals if it
requires an extradition treaty for that category but does not require one for extradition of
non-nationals.

Article 12. Monitoring and Follow-up:
34.
The current terms of reference of the OECD Working Group on Bribery which
are relevant to monitoring and follow-up are set out in Section VIII of the 1997 OECD
Recommendation. They provide for:
i) receipt of notifications and other information submitted to it by the
[participating] countries;
ii) regular reviews of steps taken by [participating] countries to implement the
Recommendation and to make proposals, as appropriate, to assist [participating]
countries in its implementation; these reviews will be based on the following
complementary systems:
-

a system of self evaluation, where [participating] countries‟ responses on the
basis of a questionnaire will provide a basis for assessing the implementation
of the Recommendation;

a system of mutual evaluation, where each [participating] country will be
examined in turn by the Working Group on Bribery, on the basis of a report
which will provide an objective assessment of the progress of the
[participating] country in implementing the Recommendation.

iii) examination of specific issues relating to bribery in international business
transactions;
...
v) provision of regular information to the public on its work and activities and on
implementation of the Recommendation.
35.
The costs of monitoring and follow-up will, for OECD Members, be handled
through the normal OECD budget process. For Non-Members of the OECD, the current
rules create an equivalent system of cost sharing, which is described in the Resolution of
the Council Concerning Fees for Regular Observer Countries and Non-Member Full
Participants in OECD Subsidiary Bodies, C(96)223/FINAL.
36.
The follow-up of any aspect of the Convention which is not also follow-up of the
1997 OECD Recommendation or any other instrument accepted by all the participants in
the OECD Working Group on Bribery will be carried out by the Parties to the Convention
and, as appropriate, the participants party to another, corresponding instrument.

Article 13. Signature and Accession:
37.
The Convention will be open to Non-Members which become full participants in
the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. Full
participation by Non-Members in this Working Group is encouraged and arranged under
simple procedures. Accordingly, the requirement of full participation in the Working
Group, which follows from the relationship of the Convention to other aspects of the fight
against bribery in international business, should not be seen as an obstacle by countries
wishing to participate in that fight. The Council of the OECD has appealed to NonMembers to adhere to the 1997 OECD Recommendation and to participate in any
institutional follow-up or implementation mechanism, i.e., in the Working Group. The
current procedures regarding full participation by Non-Members in the Working Group
may be found in the Resolution of the Council concerning the Participation of NonMember Economies in the Work of Subsidiary Bodies of the Organisation,
C(96)64/REV1/FINAL. In addition to accepting the Revised Recommendation of the
Council on Combating Bribery, a full participant also accepts the Recommendation on the
Tax Deductibility of Bribes of Foreign Public Officials, adopted on 11 April 1996,
C(96)27/FINAL.

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20 - RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER COMBATING FOREIGN BRIBERY

Recommendation of the Council for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign
Public Officials in International Business Transactions
Adopted by the Council on 26 November 2009

Welcoming other developments which further advance international understanding and co-operation
regarding bribery in international business transactions, including actions of the Council of Europe, the
European Union and the Organisation of American States;
Welcoming the efforts of companies, business organisations and trade unions as well as other nongovernmental organisations to combat bribery;
Recognising that achieving progress in this field requires not only efforts on a national level but also
multilateral co-operation, as well as rigorous and systematic monitoring and follow-up;
General
I.

NOTES that the present Recommendation for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public
Officials in International Business Transactions shall apply to OECD Member countries and
other countries party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention (hereinafter “Member countries”).

II.

RECOMMENDS that Member countries continue taking effective measures to deter, prevent
and combat the bribery of foreign public officials in connection with international business
transactions.

III.

RECOMMENDS that each Member country take concrete and meaningful steps in conformity
with its jurisdictional and other basic legal principles to examine or further examine the
following areas:
i)

awareness-raising initiatives in the public and private sector for the purpose of preventing
and detecting foreign bribery;

ii)

criminal laws and their application, in accordance with the OECD Anti-Bribery
Convention, as well as sections IV, V, VI and VII, and the Good Practice Guidance on
Implementing Specific Articles of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public
Officials in International Business Transactions, as set out in Annex I to this
Recommendation;

iii)

tax legislation, regulations and practice, to eliminate any indirect support of foreign bribery,
in accordance with the 2009 Council Recommendation on Tax Measures for Further
Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, and
section VIII of this Recommendation;

iv)

provisions and measures to ensure the reporting of foreign bribery, in accordance with
section IX of this Recommendation;

v)

company and business accounting, external audit, as well as internal control, ethics, and
compliance requirements and practices, in accordance with section X of this
Recommendation;

vi)

laws and regulations on banks and other financial institutions to ensure that adequate
records would be kept and made available for inspection and investigation;

public subsidies, licences, public procurement contracts, contracts funded by official
development assistance, officially supported export credits, or other public advantages, so
that advantages could be denied as a sanction for bribery in appropriate cases, and in
accordance with sections XI and XII of this Recommendation;

international co-operation in investigations and other legal proceedings, in accordance with
section XIII of this Recommendation.
Criminalisation of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials

IV.

RECOMMENDS, in order to ensure the vigorous and comprehensive implementation of the
OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, that Member countries should take fully into account the
Good Practice Guidance on Implementing Specific Articles of the Convention on Combating
Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, set forth in Annex I
hereto, which is an integral part of this Recommendation.

V.

RECOMMENDS that Member countries undertake to periodically review their laws
implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and their approach to enforcement in order
to effectively combat international bribery of foreign public officials.

VI.

RECOMMENDS, in view of the corrosive effect of small facilitation payments, particularly
on sustainable economic development and the rule of law that Member countries should:
i)

undertake to periodically review their policies and approach on small facilitation payments
in order to effectively combat the phenomenon;

ii)

encourage companies to prohibit or discourage the use of small facilitation payments in
internal company controls, ethics and compliance programmes or measures, recognising
that such payments are generally illegal in the countries where they are made, and must in
all cases be accurately accounted for in such companies‟ books and financial records.

VII.

URGES all countries to raise awareness of their public officials on their domestic bribery and
solicitation laws with a view to stopping the solicitation and acceptance of small facilitation
payments.
Tax Deductibility

VIII.

URGES Member countries to:
i)

fully and promptly implement the 2009 Council Recommendation on Tax Measures for
Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business
Transactions, which recommends in particular “that Member countries and other Parties to
the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention explicitly disallow the tax deductibility of bribes to
foreign public officials, for all tax purposes in an effective manner”, and that “in
accordance with their legal systems” they “establish an effective legal and administrative
framework and provide guidance to facilitate reporting by tax authorities of suspicions of
foreign bribery arising out of the performance of their duties, to the appropriate domestic
law enforcement authorities”;

support the monitoring carried out by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs as provided under
the 2009 Council Recommendation on Tax Measures for Further Combating Bribery of
Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.
Reporting Foreign Bribery

IX.

RECOMMENDS that Member countries should ensure that:
i)

easily accessible channels are in place for the reporting of suspected acts of bribery of
foreign public officials in international business transactions to law enforcement authorities,
in accordance with their legal principles;

ii)

appropriate measures are in place to facilitate reporting by public officials, in particular
those posted abroad, directly or indirectly through an internal mechanism, to law
enforcement authorities of suspected acts of bribery of foreign public officials in
international business transactions detected in the course of their work, in accordance with
their legal principles;

iii)

appropriate measures are in place to protect from discriminatory or disciplinary action
public and private sector employees who report in good faith and on reasonable grounds to
the competent authorities suspected acts of bribery of foreign public officials in
international business transactions.

Accounting Requirements, External Audit, and Internal Controls, Ethics and Compliance
X.
RECOMMENDS that Member countries take the steps necessary, taking into account where
appropriate the individual circumstances of a company, including its size, type, legal structure and
geographical and industrial sector of operation, so that laws, rules or practices with respect to accounting
requirements, external audits, and internal controls, ethics and compliance are in line with the following
principles and are fully used in order to prevent and detect bribery of foreign public officials in
international business, according to their jurisdictional and other basic legal principles.
A. Adequate accounting requirements
i)

Member countries shall, in accordance with Article 8 of the OECD Anti-Bribery
Convention, take such measures as may be necessary, within the framework of their laws
and regulations regarding the maintenance of books and records, financial statement
disclosures, and accounting and auditing standards, to prohibit the establishment of off-thebooks accounts, the making of off-the-books or inadequately identified transactions, the
recording of non-existent expenditures, the entry of liabilities with incorrect identification
of their object, as well as the use of false documents, by companies subject to those laws
and regulations, for the purpose of bribing foreign public officials or of hiding such bribery;

ii)

Member countries should require companies to disclose in their financial statements the full
range of material contingent liabilities;

iii)

Member countries shall, in accordance with Article 8 of the OECD Anti-Bribery
Convention, provide effective, proportionate and dissuasive civil, administrative or criminal

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penalties for such omissions and falsifications in respect of the books, records, accounts and
financial statements of such companies.
B. Independent External Audit
i)

Member countries should consider whether requirements on companies to submit to
external audit are adequate;

ii)

Member countries and professional associations should maintain adequate standards to
ensure the independence of external auditors which permits them to provide an objective
assessment of company accounts, financial statements and internal controls;

iii)

Member countries should require the external auditor who discovers indications of a
suspected act of bribery of a foreign public official to report this discovery to management
and, as appropriate, to corporate monitoring bodies;

iv)

Member countries should encourage companies that receive reports of suspected acts of
bribery of foreign public officials from an external auditor to actively and effectively
respond to such reports;

v)

Member countries should consider requiring the external auditor to report suspected acts of
bribery of foreign public officials to competent authorities independent of the company,
such as law enforcement or regulatory authorities, and for those countries that permit such
reporting, ensure that auditors making such reports reasonably and in good faith are
protected from legal action.

companies to develop and adopt adequate internal controls, ethics and compliance
programmes or measures for the purpose of preventing and detecting foreign bribery, taking
into account the Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, and Compliance, set
forth in Annex II hereto, which is an integral part of this Recommendation;

ii)

business organisations and professional associations, where appropriate, in their efforts to
encourage and assist companies, in particular small and medium size enterprises, in
developing internal controls, ethics, and compliance programmes or measures for the
purpose of preventing and detecting foreign bribery, taking into account the Good Practice
Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, and Compliance, set forth in Annex II hereto;

iii)

company management to make statements in their annual reports or otherwise publicly
disclose their internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes or measures, including
those which contribute to preventing and detecting bribery;

iv)

the creation of monitoring bodies, independent of management, such as audit committees of
boards of directors or of supervisory boards;

v)

companies to provide channels for communication by, and protection of, persons not
willing to violate professional standards or ethics under instructions or pressure from

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25

hierarchical superiors, as well as for persons willing to report breaches of the law or
professional standards or ethics occurring within the company in good faith and on
reasonable grounds, and should encourage companies to take appropriate action based on
such reporting;
vi)

their government agencies to consider, where international business transactions are
concerned, and as appropriate, internal controls, ethics, and compliance programmes or
measures in their decisions to grant public advantages, including public subsidies, licences,
public procurement contracts, contracts funded by official development assistance, and
officially supported export credits.
Public Advantages, including Public Procurement

XI.

RECOMMENDS:
i)

Member countries‟ laws and regulations should permit authorities to suspend, to an
appropriate degree, from competition for public contracts or other public advantages,
including public procurement contracts and contracts funded by official development
assistance, enterprises determined to have bribed foreign public officials in contravention of
that Member‟s national laws and, to the extent a Member applies procurement sanctions to
enterprises that are determined to have bribed domestic public officials, such sanctions
should be applied equally in case of bribery of foreign public officials;1

ii)

In accordance with the 1996 Development Assistance Committee Recommendation on
Anti-corruption Proposals for Bilateral Aid Procurement, Member countries should require
anti-corruption provisions in bilateral aid-funded procurement, promote the proper
implementation of anti-corruption provisions in international development institutions, and
work closely with development partners to combat corruption in all development cooperation efforts;2

iii)

Member countries should support the efforts of the OECD Public Governance Committee
to implement the principles contained in the 2008 Council Recommendation on Enhancing
Integrity in Public Procurement [C(2008)105], as well as work on transparency in public
procurement in other international governmental organisations such as the United Nations,
the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the European Union, and are encouraged to
adhere to relevant international standards such as the WTO Agreement on Government
Procurement.

1

Member countries‟ systems for applying sanctions for bribery of domestic officials differ as to whether the
determination of bribery is based on a criminal conviction, indictment or administrative procedure, but in all cases it
is based on substantial evidence.

2

This paragraph summarises the DAC recommendation, which is addressed to DAC members only, and addresses it
to all OECD Members and eventually non-member countries which adhere to the Recommendation.

Countries Party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention that are not OECD Members should
adhere to the 2006 OECD Council Recommendation on Bribery and Officially Supported
Export Credits;

ii)

Member countries should support the efforts of the OECD Working Party on Export Credits
and Credit Guarantees to implement and monitor implementation of the principles
contained in the 2006 OECD Council Recommendation on Bribery and Officially
Supported Export Credits.
International Co-operation

XIII.
RECOMMENDS that Member countries, in order to effectively combat bribery of foreign
public officials in international business transactions, in conformity with their jurisdictional and other
basic legal principles, take the following actions:
i)

consult and otherwise co-operate with competent authorities in other countries, and, as
appropriate, international and regional law enforcement networks involving Member and
non-Member countries, in investigations and other legal proceedings concerning specific
cases of such bribery, through such means as the sharing of information spontaneously or
upon request, provision of evidence, extradition, and the identification, freezing, seizure,
confiscation and recovery of the proceeds of bribery of foreign public officials;

ii)

seriously investigate credible allegations of bribery of foreign public officials referred to
them by international governmental organisations, such as the international and regional
development banks;

iii)

make full use of existing agreements and arrangements for mutual international legal
assistance and where necessary, enter into new agreements or arrangements for this
purpose;

iv)

ensure that their national laws afford an adequate basis for this co-operation, in particular in
accordance with Articles 9 and 10 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention;

v)

consider ways for facilitating mutual legal assistance between Member countries and with
non-Member countries in cases of such bribery, including regarding evidentiary thresholds
for some Member countries.
Follow-up and institutional arrangements

XIV.
INSTRUCTS the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, to carry
out an ongoing programme of systematic follow-up to monitor and promote the full implementation of
the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and this Recommendation, in co-operation with the Committee for
Fiscal Affairs, the Development Assistance Committee, the Investment Committee, the Public
Governance Committee, the Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees, and other OECD
bodies, as appropriate. This follow-up will include, in particular:

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27

i)

continuation of the programme of rigorous and systematic monitoring of Member
countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x; implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and this
Recommendation to promote the full implementation of these instruments, including
through an ongoing system of mutual evaluation, where each Member country is examined
in turn by the Working Group on Bribery, on the basis of a report which will provide an
objective assessment of the progress of the Member country in implementing the OECD
Anti-Bribery Convention and this Recommendation, and which will be made publicly
available;

ii)

receipt of notifications and other information submitted to it by the Member countries
concerning the authorities which serve as channels of communication for the purpose of
facilitating international cooperation on implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery
Convention and this Recommendation;

iii)

regular reporting on steps taken by Member countries to implement the OECD AntiBribery Convention and this Recommendation, including non-confidential information on
investigations and prosecutions;

iv)

voluntary meetings of law enforcement officials directly involved in the enforcement of the
foreign bribery offence to discuss best practices and horizontal issues relating to the
investigation and prosecution of the bribery of foreign public officials;

v)

examination of prevailing trends, issues and counter-measures in foreign bribery, including
through work on typologies and cross-country studies;

vi)

development of tools and mechanisms to increase the impact of monitoring and follow-up,
and awareness raising, including through the voluntary submission and public reporting of
non-confidential enforcement data, research, and bribery threat assessments;

vii)

provision of regular information to the public on its work and activities and on
implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and this Recommendation.

XV. NOTES the obligation of Member countries to co-operate closely in this follow-up programme,
pursuant to Article 3 of the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development of 14 December 1960, and Article 12 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
Co-operation with non Members
XVI. APPEALS to non-Member countries that are major exporters and foreign investors to adhere to
and implement the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and this Recommendation and participate in any
institutional follow-up or implementation mechanism.
XVII. INSTRUCTS the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions to provide a
forum for consultations with countries which have not yet adhered, in order to promote wider
participation in the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and this Recommendation, and their follow-up.
Relations with international governmental and non-governmental organisations
XVIII. INVITES the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, to consult and
co-operate with the international organisations and international financial institutions active in the fight
against bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions, and consult regularly
with the non-governmental organisations and representatives of the business community active in this
field.
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Annex I:
Good Practice Guidance on Implementing Specific Articles of the Convention on
Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions

Having regard to the findings and recommendations of the Working Group on Bribery in International
Business Transactions in its programme of systematic follow-up to monitor and promote the full
implementation of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions
(the OECD Anti Bribery Convention), as required by Article 12 of the Convention, good practice on fully
implementing specific articles of the Convention has evolved as follows:
A)

Article 1 of the OECD Anti Bribery Convention: The Offence of Bribery of Foreign Public
Officials
Article 1 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention should be implemented in such a way that it
does not provide a defence or exception where the foreign public official solicits a bribe.
Member countries should undertake public awareness-raising actions and provide specific
written guidance to the public on their laws implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
and the Commentaries to the Convention.
Member countries should provide information and training as appropriate to their public officials
posted abroad on their laws implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, so that such
personnel can provide basic information to their companies in foreign countries and appropriate
assistance when such companies are confronted with bribe solicitations.

B)

Article 2 of the OECD Anti Bribery Convention: Responsibility of Legal Persons
Member countries‟ systems for the liability of legal persons for the bribery of foreign public
officials in international business transactions should not restrict the liability to cases where the
natural person or persons who perpetrated the offence are prosecuted or convicted.
Member countries‟ systems for the liability of legal persons for the bribery of foreign public
officials in international business transactions should take one of the following approaches:
a.

the level of authority of the person whose conduct triggers the liability of the legal person is
flexible and reflects the wide variety of decision-making systems in legal persons; or

b.

the approach is functionally equivalent to the foregoing even though it is only triggered by
acts of persons with the highest level managerial authority, because the following cases are
covered:


A person with the highest level managerial authority offers, promises or gives a bribe to
a foreign public official;



A person with the highest level managerial authority directs or authorises a lower level
person to offer, promise or give a bribe to a foreign public official; and

A person with the highest level managerial authority fails to prevent a lower level
person from bribing a foreign public official, including through a failure to supervise
him or her or through a failure to implement adequate internal controls, ethics and
compliance programmes or measures.

Responsibility for Bribery through Intermediaries
Member countries should ensure that, in accordance with Article 1 of the OECD Anti Bribery
Convention, and the principle of functional equivalence in Commentary 2 to the OECD AntiBribery Convention, a legal person cannot avoid responsibility by using intermediaries, including
related legal persons, to offer, promise or give a bribe to a foreign public official on its behalf.

D)

Article 5: Enforcement
Member countries should be vigilant in ensuring that investigations and prosecutions of the
bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions are not influenced by
considerations of national economic interest, the potential effect upon relations with another
State or the identity of the natural or legal persons involved, in compliance with Article 5 of the
OECD Anti Bribery Convention.
Complaints of bribery of foreign public officials should be seriously investigated and credible
allegations assessed by competent authorities.
Member countries should provide adequate resources to law enforcement authorities so as to
permit effective investigation and prosecution of bribery of foreign public officials in
international business transactions, taking into consideration Commentary 27 to the OECD Anti
Bribery Convention.

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Annex II

Good practice guidance on internal controls, ethics, and compliance
This Good Practice Guidance acknowledges the relevant findings and recommendations of the Working
Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions in its programme of systematic follow-up to
monitor and promote the full implementation of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign
Public Officials in International Business Transactions (hereinafter “OECD Anti-Bribery Convention”);
contributions from the private sector and civil society through the Working Group on Bribery’s
consultations on its review of the OECD anti-bribery instruments; and previous work on preventing and
detecting bribery in business by the OECD as well as international private sector and civil society
bodies.

Introduction
This Good Practice Guidance (hereinafter “Guidance”) is addressed to companies for establishing and
ensuring the effectiveness of internal controls, ethics, and compliance programmes or measures for
preventing and detecting the bribery of foreign public officials in their international business transactions
(hereinafter “foreign bribery”), and to business organisations and professional associations, which play
an essential role in assisting companies in these efforts. It recognises that to be effective, such
programmes or measures should be interconnected with a company‟s overall compliance framework. It is
intended to serve as non-legally binding guidance to companies in establishing effective internal controls,
ethics, and compliance programmes or measures for preventing and detecting foreign bribery.
This Guidance is flexible, and intended to be adapted by companies, in particular small and medium
sized enterprises (hereinafter “SMEs”), according to their individual circumstances, including their size,
type, legal structure and geographical and industrial sector of operation, as well as the jurisdictional and
other basic legal principles under which they operate.

A)

Good Practice Guidance for Companies
Effective internal controls, ethics, and compliance programmes or measures for preventing and
detecting foreign bribery should be developed on the basis of a risk assessment addressing the
individual circumstances of a company, in particular the foreign bribery risks facing the company
(such as its geographical and industrial sector of operation). Such circumstances and risks should
be regularly monitored, re-assessed, and adapted as necessary to ensure the continued
effectiveness of the company‟s internal controls, ethics, and compliance programme or measures.
Companies should consider, inter alia, the following good practices for ensuring effective
internal controls, ethics, and compliance programmes or measures for the purpose of preventing
and detecting foreign bribery:
1.

strong, explicit and visible support and commitment from senior management to the
company's internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes or measures for preventing
and detecting foreign bribery;

compliance with this prohibition and the related internal controls, ethics, and compliance
programmes or measures is the duty of individuals at all levels of the company;

4.

oversight of ethics and compliance programmes or measures regarding foreign bribery,
including the authority to report matters directly to independent monitoring bodies such as
internal audit committees of boards of directors or of supervisory boards, is the duty of one
or more senior corporate officers, with an adequate level of autonomy from management,
resources, and authority;

5.

ethics and compliance programmes or measures designed to prevent and detect foreign
bribery, applicable to all directors, officers, and employees, and applicable to all entities
over which a company has effective control, including subsidiaries, on, inter alia, the
following areas:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
vi)
vii)

ethics and compliance programmes or measures designed to prevent and detect foreign
bribery applicable, where appropriate and subject to contractual arrangements, to third
parties such as agents and other intermediaries, consultants, representatives, distributors,
contractors and suppliers, consortia, and joint venture partners (hereinafter “business
partners”), including, inter alia, the following essential elements:
i)
ii)

iii)

properly documented risk-based due diligence pertaining to the hiring, as well as the
appropriate and regular oversight of business partners;
informing business partners of the company‟s commitment to abiding by laws on the
prohibitions against foreign bribery, and of the company‟s ethics and compliance
programme or measures for preventing and detecting such bribery; and
seeking a reciprocal commitment from business partners.

7.

a system of financial and accounting procedures, including a system of internal controls,
reasonably designed to ensure the maintenance of fair and accurate books, records, and
accounts, to ensure that they cannot be used for the purpose of foreign bribery or hiding
such bribery;

8.

measures designed to ensure periodic communication, and documented training for all levels
of the company, on the company‟s ethics and compliance programme or measures regarding
foreign bribery, as well as, where appropriate, for subsidiaries;

9.

appropriate measures to encourage and provide positive support for the observance of ethics
and compliance programmes or measures against foreign bribery, at all levels of the
company;

32 - RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER COMBATING FOREIGN BRIBERY
10. appropriate disciplinary procedures to address, among other things, violations, at all levels
of the company, of laws against foreign bribery, and the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x;s ethics and compliance
programme or measures regarding foreign bribery;
11. effective measures for:
i)
providing guidance and advice to directors, officers, employees, and, where
appropriate, business partners, on complying with the company's ethics and
compliance programme or measures, including when they need urgent advice on
difficult situations in foreign jurisdictions;
ii)
internal and where possible confidential reporting by, and protection of, directors,
officers, employees, and, where appropriate, business partners, not willing to violate
professional standards or ethics under instructions or pressure from hierarchical
superiors, as well as for directors, officers, employees, and, where appropriate,
business partners, willing to report breaches of the law or professional standards or
ethics occurring within the company, in good faith and on reasonable grounds; and
iii) undertaking appropriate action in response to such reports;
12. periodic reviews of the ethics and compliance programmes or measures, designed to
evaluate and improve their effectiveness in preventing and detecting foreign bribery, taking
into account relevant developments in the field, and evolving international and industry
standards.

B)

Actions by Business Organisations and Professional Associations
Business organisations and professional associations may play an essential role in assisting
companies, in particular SMEs, in the development of effective internal control, ethics, and
compliance programmes or measures for the purpose of preventing and detecting foreign bribery.
Such support may include, inter alia:
1. dissemination of information on foreign bribery issues, including regarding relevant
developments in international and regional forums, and access to relevant databases;
2.

making training, prevention, due diligence, and other compliance tools available;

3.

general advice on carrying out due diligence; and

4.

general advice and support on resisting extortion and solicitation.

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RECOMMENDATION ON TAX MEASURES FOR FURTHER COMBATING FOREIGN BRIBERY -

Recommendation of the Council on Tax Measures for Further Combating
Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions
Adopted by the Council on 25 May 2009

THE COUNCIL,
Having regard to Article 5, b) of the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development of 14 December 1960;
Having regard to the Recommendation of the Council on the Tax Deductibility of Bribes
to Foreign Public Officials [C(96)27/FINAL] (hereafter the "1996 Recommendation"), to
which the present Recommendation succeeds;
Having regard to the Revised Recommendation of the Council on Bribery in
International Business Transactions [C(97)123/FINAL];
Having regard to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions to which all OECD Members and eight non-Members
are Parties, as at the time of the adoption of this Recommendation (hereafter the "OECD
Anti-Bribery Convention");
Having regard to the Commentaries on the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention;
Having regard to the Recommendation of the Council concerning the Model Tax
Convention on Income and on Capital (hereafter the "OECD Model Tax Convention")
[C(97)195/FINAL];
Welcoming the United Nations Convention Against Corruption to which most parties to
the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention are State parties, and in particular Article 12.4,
which provides that "Each State Party shall disallow the tax deductibility of expenses that
constitute bribes"
Considering that the 1996 Recommendation has had an important impact both within
and outside the OECD, and that significant steps have already been taken by
governments, the private sector and non-governmental agencies to combat the bribery of
foreign public officials, but that the problem still continues to be widespread and
necessitates strengthened measures;
Considering that explicit legislation disallowing the deductibility of bribes increases the
overall awareness within the business community of the illegality of bribery of foreign
public officials and within the tax administration of the need to detect and disallow
deductions for payments of bribes to foreign public officials; and
Considering that sharing information by tax authorities with other law enforcement
authorities can be an important tool for the detection and investigation of transnational
bribery offences;
On the proposal of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs and the Investment Committee;
I.

RECOMMENDS that:

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Member countries and other Parties to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
explicitly disallow the tax deductibility of bribes to foreign public officials, for
all tax purposes in an effective manner. Such disallowance should be established
by law or by any other binding means which carry the same effect, such as:



prohibiting tax deductibility of bribes to foreign public officials;
prohibiting tax deductibility of all bribes or expenditures incurred in
furtherance of corrupt conduct in contravention of the criminal law or
any other laws of the Party to the Anti-Bribery Convention.

Denial of tax deductibility is not contingent on the opening of an investigation by
the law enforcement authorities or of court proceedings.
(ii)

Each Member country and other Party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
review, on an ongoing basis, the effectiveness of its legal, administrative and
policy frameworks as well as practices for disallowing tax deductibility of bribes
to foreign public officials. These reviews should assess whether adequate
guidance is provided to taxpayers and tax authorities as to the types of expenses
that are deemed to constitute bribes to foreign public officials, and whether such
bribes are effectively detected by tax authorities.

(iii)

Member countries and other Parties to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
consider to include in their bilateral tax treaties, the optional language of
paragraph 12.3 of the Commentary to Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax
Convention, which allows "the sharing of tax information by tax authorities with
other law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities on certain high priority
matters (e.g. to combat money laundering, corruption, terrorism financing)" and
reads as follows:
"Notwithstanding the foregoing, information received by a Contracting State may
be used for other purposes when such information may be used for such other
purposes under the laws of both States and the competent authority of the
supplying State authorises such use."

II.
further RECOMMENDS Member countries and other Parties to the OECD
Anti-Bribery Convention, in accordance with their legal systems, to establish an effective
legal and administrative framework and provide guidance to facilitate reporting by tax
authorities of suspicions of foreign bribery arising out of the performance of their duties,
to the appropriate domestic law enforcement authorities.
III.
INVITES non-Members that are not yet Parties to the OECD Anti-Bribery
Convention to apply this Recommendation to the fullest extent possible.
IV.
INSTRUCTS the Committee on Fiscal Affairs together with the Investment
Committee to monitor the implementation of the Recommendation and to promote it in
the context of contacts with non-Members and to report to Council as appropriate.

Recommendation of the Council on Bribery and
Officially Supported Export Credits
Adopted by the Council on 14 December 2006

THE COUNCIL
Having regard to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development of 14th December 1960 and, in particular, to Article 5 b) thereof;
Having regard to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions (hereafter the Anti-Bribery Convention) and to the
1997 Revised Recommendation of the Council on Combating Bribery in International
Business Transactions [C(97)123] (hereafter the 1997 Recommendation);
Having regard to the 2006 Action Statement on Bribery and Officially Supported Export
Credits;
Considering that combating bribery in international business transactions is a priority
issue and that the Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees is the
appropriate forum to ensure the implementation of the Anti-Bribery Convention and the
1997 Recommendation in respect of international business transactions benefiting from
official export credit support;
Noting that the application by Members of the measures set out in Paragraph 2 in no way
mitigates the responsibility of the exporter and other parties in transactions benefiting
from official support to: (i) comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including
national provisions for combating bribery of foreign public officials in international
business transactions, or (ii) provide the proper description of the transaction for which
support is sought, including all relevant payments;
On the proposal of the Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees (hereafter
the ECG):
1.
RECOMMENDS that Members take appropriate measures to deter bribery1 in
international business transactions benefiting from official export credit support, in
accordance with the legal system of each member country and the character of the export
credit2 and not prejudicial to the rights of any parties not responsible for the illegal
payments, including:
a)

Informing exporters and, where appropriate, applicants, requesting support
about the legal consequences of bribery in international business transactions
under its national legal system including its national laws prohibiting such
bribery and encouraging them to develop, apply and document appropriate
management control systems that combat bribery.

1

As defined in the Anti-Bribery Convention.

2

It is recognised that not all export credit products are conducive to a uniform implementation of the
Recommendation. For example, on short-term whole-turnover and multi-buyer export credit insurance policies,
Members may, where appropriate, implement the Recommendation on an export credit policy basis rather than on a
transaction basis.

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36 - RECOMMENDATION ON OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED EXPORT CREDITS
b)

Requiring exporters and, where appropriate, applicants, to provide an
undertaking/ declaration that neither they, nor anyone acting on their behalf,
such as agents, have been engaged or will engage in bribery in the
transaction.

c)

Verifying and noting whether exporters and, where appropriate, applicants,
are listed on the publicly available debarment lists of the following
international financial institutions: World Bank Group, African
Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development and the Inter-American Development
Bank3.

d)

Requiring exporters and, where appropriate, applicants, to disclose whether
they or anyone acting on their behalf in connection with the transaction are
currently under charge in a national court or, within a five-year period
preceding the application, have been convicted in a national court or been
subject to equivalent national administrative measures for violation of laws
against bribery of foreign public officials of any country.

e)

Requiring that exporters and, where appropriate, applicants, disclose, upon
demand: (i) the identity of persons acting on their behalf in connection with
the transaction, and (ii) the amount and purpose of commissions and fees
paid, or agreed to be paid, to such persons.

f)

Undertaking enhanced due diligence if: (i) the exporters and, where
appropriate, applicants, appear on the publicly available debarment lists of
one of the international financial institutions referred to in c) above; or (ii)
the Member becomes aware that exporters and, where appropriate,
applicants or anyone acting on their behalf in connection with the
transaction, are currently under charge in a national court, or, within a fiveyear period preceding the application, has been convicted in a national court
or been subject to equivalent national administrative measures for violation
of laws against bribery of foreign public officials of any country; or (iii) the
Member has reason to believe that bribery may be involved in the
transaction.

g)

In case of a conviction in a national court or equivalent national
administrative measures for violation of laws against bribery of foreign
public officials of any country within a five-year period, verifying whether
appropriate internal corrective and preventive measures4 have been taken,
maintained and documented.

3

The implementation of paragraph 1 c) may take the form of a self-declaration from exporters and, where appropriate,
applicants, as to whether they are listed on the publicly available IFI debarment lists.

4

Such measures could include: replacing individuals that have been involved in bribery, adopting an appropriate anti-bribery
management control systems, submitting to an audit and making the results of such periodic audits available.

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RECOMMENDATION ON OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED EXPORT CREDITS -

2.

h)

Developing and implementing procedures to disclose to their law
enforcement authorities instances of credible evidence5 of bribery in the case
that such procedures do not already exist.

i)

If there is credible evidence at any time that bribery was involved in the
award or execution of the export contract, informing their law enforcement
authorities promptly.

j)

If, before credit, cover or other support has been approved, there is credible
evidence that bribery was involved in the award or execution of the export
contract, suspending approval of the application during the enhanced due
diligence process. If the enhanced due diligence concludes that bribery was
involved in the transaction, the Member shall refuse to approve credit, cover
or other support.

k)

If, after credit, cover or other support has been approved bribery has been
proven, taking appropriate action, such as denial of payment,
indemnification, or refund of sums provided.

37

INSTRUCTS the ECG to continue to:
a)

Exchange information on how the Anti-Bribery Convention and 1997
Recommendation are being taken into account in national official export
credit systems.

b) Collate and map the information exchanged with a view to considering
further steps to combat bribery in respect of officially supported export
credits.
c) Exchange views with appropriate stakeholders.
3.
INVITES the Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention which are not OECD
Members to adhere to this Recommendation.

5

For the purpose of this Recommendation, credible evidence is evidence of a quality which, after critical analysis, a
court would find to be reasonable and sufficient grounds upon which to base a decision on the issue if no contrary
evidence were submitted.

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38 - RECOMMENDATION ON OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED EXPORT CREDITS

Recommendation of the Development Assistance Committee on AntiCorruption Proposals for Bilateral Aid Procurement
Recommendation endorsed by the Development Assistance Committee at its High Level Meeting,
6-7 May 1996

1.

DAC Members share a concern with corruption:
 It undermines good governance.
 It wastes scarce resources for development, whether from aid or from other public or private
sources, with far-reaching effects throughout the economy.
 It undermines the credibility of, and public support for, development co-operation and
devalues the reputation and efforts of all who work to support sustainable development.
 It compromises open and transparent competition on the basis of price and quality.

2.
The DAC, therefore, firmly endorses the need to combat corruption through effective
prohibition, co-ordinated in a multilateral framework to ensure harmonised implementation. Other
meaningful and concrete measures are also required to ensure transparency, accountability and probity in
the use of public resources in DAC Members' own systems and those of partner countries, who
themselves are increasingly concerned with this problem.
3.
In its efforts to curb corruption, the DAC recognises that opportunities may exist for corrupt
practices in aid-funded procurement. Together with other efforts to deal with corruption, the DAC hereby
expresses its firm intention to work to eliminate corruption in aid procurement.
4.
The DAC therefore recommends that Members introduce or require anti-corruption
provisions governing bilateral aid-funded procurement. This work should be carried out in coordination with other work being undertaken in the OECD and elsewhere to eliminate corruption,
and in collaboration with recipient countries. The DAC also recommends that its Members work to
ensure the proper implementation of their anti-corruption provisions and that they draw to the
attention of the international development institutions to which they belong, the importance of
proper implementation of the anti-corruption provisions envisaged in their rules of operation.
5.

The DAC will follow up on the effect given to this Recommendation within one year.

6.
DAC Members will work closely with development partners to combat corruption in all
development co-operation efforts.

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Section VII
VII. Combating Bribery, Bribe Solicitation and Extortion
Enterprises should not, directly or indirectly, offer, promise, give, or demand a bribe or other undue
advantage to obtain or retain business or other improper advantage. Enterprises should also resist the
solicitation of bribes and extortion. In particular, enterprises should:
1.

Not offer, promise or give undue pecuniary or other advantage to public officials or the
employees of business partners. Likewise, enterprises should not request, agree to or accept
undue pecuniary or other advantage from public officials or the employees of business partners.
Enterprises should not use third parties such as agents and other intermediaries, consultants,
representatives, distributors, consortia, contractors and suppliers and joint venture partners for
channelling undue pecuniary or other advantages to public officials, or to employees of their
business partners or to their relatives or business associates

2.

Develop and adopt adequate internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes or measures
for preventing and detecting bribery, developed on the basis of a risk assessment addressing the
individual circumstances of an enterprise, in particular the bribery risks facing the enterprise
(such as its geographical and industrial sector of operation). These internal controls, ethics and
compliance programmes or measures should include a system of financial and accounting
procedures, including a system of internal controls, reasonably designed to ensure the
maintenance of fair and accurate books, records, and accounts, to ensure that they cannot be
used for the purpose of bribing or hiding bribery. Such individual circumstances and bribery
risks should be regularly monitored and re-assessed as necessary to ensure the enterpriseâ&#x20AC;&#x;s
internal controls, ethics and compliance programme or measures are adapted and continue to be
effective, and to mitigate the risk of enterprises becoming complicit in bribery, bribe
solicitation and extortion.

3.

Prohibit or discourage, in internal company controls, ethics and compliance programmes or
measures, the use of small facilitation payments, which are generally illegal in the countries
where they are made, and, when such payments are made, accurately record these in books and
financial records.

4.

Ensure, taking into account the particular bribery risks facing the enterprise, properly
documented due diligence pertaining to the hiring, as well as the appropriate and regular
oversight of agents, and that remuneration of agents is appropriate and for legitimate services
only. Where relevant, a list of agents engaged in connection with transactions with public
bodies and State-owned enterprises should be kept and made available to competent authorities,
in accordance with applicable public disclosure requirements.

5.

Enhance the transparency of their activities in the fight against bribery, bribe solicitation and
extortion. Measures could include making public commitments against bribery, bribe
solicitation and extortion, and disclosing the management systems and the internal controls,
ethics and compliance programmes or measures adopted by enterprises in order to honour these
commitments. Enterprises should also foster openness and dialogue with the public so as to
promote its awareness of and co-operation with the fight against bribery, bribe solicitation and
extortion.

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40 - GUIDELINES FOR MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES
6.

Promote employee awareness of and compliance with company policies and internal controls,
ethics and compliance programmes or measures against bribery, bribe solicitation and extortion
through appropriate dissemination of such policies, programmes or measures and through
training programmes and disciplinary procedures.

7.

Not make illegal contributions to candidates for public office or to political parties or to other
political organisations. Political contributions should fully comply with public disclosure
requirements and should be reported to senior management.

Commentary on Combating Bribery, Bribe Solicitation and Extortion
Bribery and corruption are damaging to democratic institutions and the governance of corporations. They
discourage investment and distort international competitive conditions. In particular, the diversion of
funds through corrupt practices undermines attempts by citizens to achieve higher levels of economic,
social and environmental welfare, and it impedes efforts to reduce poverty. Enterprises have an important
role to play in combating these practices.
Propriety, integrity and transparency in both the public and private domains are key concepts in the fight
against bribery, bribe solicitation and extortion. The business community, non-governmental
organisations, governments and inter-governmental organisations have all co-operated to strengthen
public support for anticorruption measures and to enhance transparency and public awareness of the
problems of corruption and bribery. The adoption of appropriate corporate governance practices is also an
essential element in fostering a culture of ethics within enterprises.
The Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions
(the Anti-Bribery Convention) entered into force on 15 February 1999. The Anti-Bribery Convention,
along with the 2009 Recommendation for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions (the 2009 Anti-Bribery Recommendation), the 2009
Recommendation on Tax Measures for Further Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in
International Business Transactions, and the 2006 Recommendation on Bribery and Officially Supported
Export Credits, are the core OECD instruments which target the offering side of the bribery transaction.
They aim to eliminate the “supply” of bribes to foreign public officials, with each country taking
responsibility for the activities of its enterprises and what happens within its own jurisdiction. 1 A
programme of rigorous and systematic monitoring of countries‟ implementation of the Anti-Bribery
Convention has been established to promote the full implementation of these instruments.
The 2009 Anti-Bribery Recommendation recommends in particular that governments encourage their
enterprises to develop and adopt adequate internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes or
measures for the purpose of preventing and detecting foreign bribery, taking into account the Good
Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics and Compliance, included as Annex II to the 2009 AntiBribery Recommendation. This Good Practice Guidance is addressed to enterprises as well as business
organisations and professional associations, and highlights good practices for ensuring the effectiveness
1

.

For the purposes of the Convention, a “bribe” is defined as an “…offer, promise, or giv(ing) of any undue pecuniary
or other advantage, whether directly or through intermediaries, to a foreign public official, for that official or for a
third party, in order that the official act or refrain from acting in relation to the performance of official duties, in
order to obtain or retain business or other improper advantage in the conduct of international business”. The
Commentaries to the Convention (paragraph 9) clarify that “small „facilitation‟ payments do not constitute payments
made „to obtain or retain business or other improper advantage‟ within the meaning of paragraph 1 and, accordingly,
are also not an offence. Such payments, which, in some countries, are made to induce public officials to perform
their functions, such as issuing licenses or permits, are generally illegal in the foreign country concerned. Other
countries can and should address this corrosive phenomenon by such means as support for programmes of good
governance. …”.

of their internal controls, ethics and compliance programmes or measures to prevent and detect foreign
bribery.
Private sector and civil society initiatives also help enterprises to design and implement effective antibribery policies.
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which entered into force on 14 December
2005, sets out a broad range of standards, measures and rules to fight corruption. Under the UNCAC,
States Parties are required to prohibit their officials from receiving bribes and their enterprises from
bribing domestic public officials, as well as foreign public officials and officials of public international
organisations, and to consider disallowing private to private bribery. The UNCAC and the Anti-Bribery
Convention are mutually supporting and complementary.
To address the demand side of bribery, good governance practices are important elements to prevent
enterprises from being asked to pay bribes. Enterprises can support collective action initiatives on
resisting bribe solicitation and extortion. Both home and host governments should assist enterprises
confronted with solicitation of bribes and with extortion. The Good Practice Guidance on Specific
Articles of the Convention in Annex I of the 2009 Anti-Bribery Recommendation states that the AntiBribery Convention should be implemented in such a way that it does not provide a defence or exception
where the foreign public official solicits a bribe. Furthermore, the UNCAC requires the criminalisation of
bribe solicitation by domestic public officials.

CONVENTION ON COMBATING BRIBERY OF FOREIGN PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS ÂŠ OECD 2011